Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 44

After he shouted excitedly, he realized that everyone was staring at him as though he were an idiot, suspicion thick in their eyes.

“You still dare say you’re innocent! Then how did you know this wasn’t Li Dalang’s cart?” The county magistrate didn’t even bother striking the wooden block this time, he simply pointed his finger directly at Liu Laosi.

Only then did Liu Laosi realize what he had just said. His face turned ashen, but he still stubbornly argued, “My lord, you must look clearly! I was only guessing…”

Even he himself couldn’t believe those words, let alone the others present. The magistrate slammed the wooden block down hard and scolded sternly, “If you still refuse to confess, then I’ll have no choice but to use torture!”

At this point, his guilt was already nailed to the board. The magistrate disliked forcing confessions by beating, but he was no stranger to it when dealing with shameless rogues who refused to admit their crimes. 

Liu Laosi knew the situation was hopeless. If he still refused, he would only earn himself a beating. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground. “I confess…”

“Confess everything you did, truthfully and without omission!” The magistrate ordered.

With a look of defeat, Liu Laosi said, “I’ve been in the workshop for many years. Li Dalang has decent skills and usually shows me respect. But as for this cart, we’d been researching it together for a long time without success. Yet he took the job all on his own!”

“He claimed to know a skilled master who could make it. But I know every craftsman within ten villages. When I asked him who it was, he just stammered without an answer. I suspected he had figured it out himself but wanted to keep the money for himself. And just as I thought, he demanded fifty taels of silver from the boss!”

“I was furious. If that brat hadn’t hidden things, the cart should have been something all of us made together. We should all have had a share of the silver!” As he said this, Liu Laosi glared fiercely at Li Dalang.

Li Dalang felt endless grievances welling inside. He clearly hadn’t hidden anything, nor had he tried to keep it all to himself. That cart wasn’t even his work, yet he had no way to explain.

Liu Laosi continued, “So I grew malicious. I tricked him out of his cart and even incited the boss to sue him at the yamen…”

His back hunched slightly, his old face drained of spirit.

Hearing this, their boss’s jaw dropped in disbelief. It took him a long time to recover before he pointed at Liu Laosi with bitter disappointment. “You, you…”

After all, Liu Laosi had followed him for many years. He was one of the workshop’s old hands, skilled and dependable. The boss couldn’t help but plead on his behalf.

“Dalang, he was just blinded by greed for a moment. Now the truth is clear, and your innocence restored. Why don’t we settle this privately?”

Li Dalang pressed his lips together. For the boss’s sake, he intended to agree. But his wife tugged at his sleeve.

He looked at Liu Chuncao, who gave him a pointed glance. He immediately understood her meaning. But since the boss had spoken, refusing would mean denying him face. How could he and his wife continue working in the shop afterward?

Caught in a dilemma, he heard Ying Su speak up, “If we hadn’t brought forth evidence today, my brother-in-law would already be facing prison. When he committed such a malicious act, he should have thought of the consequences. We do not intend to settle this privately. Since it has already gone to court, we will leave it to the magistrate’s judgment.”

Every word was sharp and clear, carrying a presence uncommon for ordinary women.

“You…” The boss hadn’t expected the woman before him to be so eloquent, refusing him outright without giving even a shred of face. For a moment, he felt humiliated.

His face flushed red as he turned to Li Dalang. “Liu Laosi is still an old hand of our workshop. When you first joined, he guided you. Your skills today owe something to him. He can be considered half a teacher to you. Shouldn’t you show some regard?”

Li Dalang flushed slightly. He knew the boss valued Liu Laosi and could only nod along.

Before he could speak, a mocking laugh cut through the air. Ying Su’s voice followed sharply, “Ridiculous! When Liu Laosi framed my brother-in-law, stole his cart, and even dragged him to the yamen, why didn’t he think of these years of ties? Boss, now you expect my brother-in-law to think of them? How biased can you be?”

“Some people just love double standards. When misfortune falls on others, they don’t care if they live or die. But when it’s themselves, suddenly they talk of relationships. Is it because you think we’re easy to bully?”

“Even if you’re rich, even if you’re the boss, you can’t speak so unreasonably. We may be common folk with no power, but don’t forget, we have a righteous magistrate behind us. He sees everything clearly and distinguishes right from wrong. He won’t be partial like you!”

With that, she neatly placed a tall cap on the magistrate’s head. The magistrate glanced sideways at Officer Zhou, as if to say, ‘Look at this sharp-tongued little woman!’

Officer Zhou pretended not to see, but the corner of his lips curved. ‘This little lady is really something.’

Ying Su’s words hit perfectly, pressing the boss down with the magistrate’s authority. The shopkeeper’s face burned with shame and anger, glaring at her, yet unable to argue back.

At this point, it was the magistrate’s turn to speak.

He cleared his throat. “Since this case has already come to court, this official will handle it. Liu Laosi acted with malice, first by deceit, then by false accusation. Considering he did not cause greater harm, the sentence will be light, return the stolen cart and serve three months in jail as punishment.”

Though Liu Laosi’s face turned ugly, he said nothing. For him, such punishment was not too heavy. But there was one thing he didn’t understand. He frowned and asked, “But isn’t the cart already here? What else am I supposed to return?”

He was full of doubt. He had hidden that cart carefully, how had it been found?

“This cart is not the same as that cart,” the magistrate said sternly. “This one was provided by Madam Shen to help solve the case. The real cart you tricked out of Li Dalang must be handed over truthfully!”

Only then did Liu Laosi realize, he had been trapped! It was a setup, and he had fallen right in. He’d been fooled by that little woman, Shen! But it was too late for regret now. Since he had already confessed, he could only obediently reveal where he had hidden the cart.

Officer Zhou led his men to the hiding place and soon returned with the stolen cart, identical to the other one.

And with that, the case was finally resolved.